Accessibility improvements for more stations after funding boost

This news article was published under
the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

Extra Access for All funding will make 26 additional rail stations accessible to all.

Twenty-six rail stations in England, Scotland and Wales will receive a share of £60 million funding to improve access for passengers, Transport Minister Baroness Kramer announced today, Tuesday 16 December 2014.

Accessible, step-free access will be provided at each of the stations after the government announced additional funding earlier this month to extend the Access for All programme. Each of the stations will get an accessible route into the station and between each platform, such as via lifts.

Baroness Kramer said:

Making the rail network accessible to all is a vital part of our plans to build a stronger economy and a fairer society.

These improvements will make a real difference to passengers – from those with limited mobility, to people with heavy luggage or parents with prams. This is great news.

The government announced in its National Infrastructure Plan earlier this month that it will increase the funding for Access for All by £60 million. The successful stations were nominated by the rail industry last year and selected for funding according to passenger numbers, the needs of the local area, and proximity to facilities such as hospitals or schools for disabled children.

Detailed costing and design work for each station will now be drawn up by Network Rail, with all of the projects due to be completed by 2019.

By the end of 2019, more than £520 million will have been invested in delivering step-free routes at more than 215 stations across the country, while a further 1,100 stations will have benefited from smaller-scale improvements. The rail industry is also required to make access improvements whenever they carry out infrastructure works at stations.